Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena sirivaḍḍho gahapati ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Atha kho sirivaḍḍho gahapati aññataraṁ purisaṁ āmantesi:
Thus have I heard—At one time, the venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ feeding ground. At that time, the householder Sirivaḍḍha was ill, experiencing pain, and gravely sick. Then the householder Sirivaḍḍha addressed a certain man:
“ehi tvaṁ, ambho purisa, yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vanda: ‘sirivaḍḍho, bhante, gahapati ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadehi: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, āyasmā ānando yena sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti.
“Come, good man, go to where the venerable Ānanda is. Having gone, bow down with your head at the venerable Ānanda’s feet in my name and say: ‘Venerable sir, the householder Sirivaḍḍha is ill, in pain, and gravely sick. He bows down with his head at the venerable Ānanda’s feet.’ Then say this: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the venerable Ānanda would come to the residence of the householder Sirivaḍḍha out of |compassion::concern [anukampa]|.’”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so puriso sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa paṭissutvā yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so puriso āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca: “sirivaḍḍho, bhante, gahapati ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno, so āyasmato ānandassa pāde sirasā vandati. Evañca vadeti: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, āyasmā ānando yena sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti. Adhivāsesi kho āyasmā ānando tuṇhībhāvena.
“Yes, venerable sir,” that man replied to the householder Sirivaḍḍha. Then he went to where the venerable Ānanda was, and having approached, he paid homage to the venerable Ānanda and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the man said to the venerable Ānanda: “Venerable sir, the householder Sirivaḍḍha is ill, in pain, and gravely sick. He bows down with his head at the venerable Ānanda’s feet. And he says: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the venerable Ānanda would come to the residence of the householder Sirivaḍḍha out of compassion.’” The venerable Ānanda consented in silence.
Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena sirivaḍḍhassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho āyasmā ānando sirivaḍḍhaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:
Then, early in the morning, the venerable Ānanda dressed, took his alms bowl and outer robe, and went to the residence of the householder Sirivaḍḍha. Having arrived, he sat down on the prepared seat. Seated, the venerable Ānanda said to the householder Sirivaḍḍha:
“kacci te, gahapati, khamanīyaṁ kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo”ti?
“Is it bearable for you, householder? Is it manageable for you? Are your painful feelings decreasing, not increasing? Is the subsiding of them, not their intensifying, discernible?”
“Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo”ti.
“Venerable sir, it is not bearable for me, it is not manageable for me. My painful feelings are increasing, not decreasing. Their intensifying, not their subsiding, is discernible.”
“Tasmātiha te, gahapati, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘kāye kāyānupassī viharissāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharissāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; citte cittānupassī viharissāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; dhammesu dhammānupassī viharissāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassan’ti. Evañhi te, gahapati, sikkhitabban”ti.
“Therefore, householder, you should train yourself thus: ‘I will dwell observing the body in and of itself, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed |craving and distress::greediness and dissatisfaction, wanting and unhappiness, craving and aversion [abhijjhā + domanassa]| with regard to the world; I will dwell observing the |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| in and of itself, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world; I will dwell observing the mind in and of itself, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world; I will dwell observing the |mental qualities::characteristics, traits, and tendencies of the mind, shaped by repeated actions and sustained attention, guided by particular ways of understanding; they may be wholesome or unwholesome, bright or dark [dhammā]| in and of themselves, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world.’ Thus should you train yourself, householder.”
“Yeme, bhante, bhagavatā cattāro satipaṭṭhānā desitā saṁvijjanti, te dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, kāye kāyānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu …pe… citte …pe… dhammesu dhammānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Yāni cimāni, bhante, bhagavatā pañcorambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni desitāni, nāhaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ kiñci attani appahīnaṁ samanupassāmī”ti.
“Venerable sir, as to these four establishments of mindfulness taught by the Blessed One—these things exist in me, and I live in conformity with those things. I dwell, venerable sir, observing the body in and of itself, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world; I dwell, venerable sir, observing the felt experience in and of itself, observing the mind in and of itself, observing the mental qualities in and of themselves, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world. And as to the five lower fetters [1] taught by the Blessed One, I do not see in myself even the slightest trace of them as not yet abandoned.”
“Lābhā te, gahapati, suladdhaṁ te, gahapati. Anāgāmiphalaṁ tayā, gahapati, byākatan”ti.
“It is a blessing for you, householder, it is most fortunate for you, householder. For you have stated the fruit of |non-returning::third stage of awakening where the lower five fetters of 1) personal existence: view that one is an embodied being, 2) doubt, perplexity, or indecisiveness, 3) adherence to rules and observances, 4) sensual desire, and 5) ill will are completely overcome [anāgāmitā]|, householder.”
[1] The five lower fetters described here can be seen through the context of the four pairs of individuals, eight stages of awakening, and the ten fetters:
1) |Personal existence::individual identity, embodied being, view that one is the owner of the body and mind [sakkāya]|
2) |Doubt::uncertainty, indecisiveness, lack of confidence in the Buddha’s teachings [vicikicchā]|
3) |Clinging to rules and observances::clinging to precepts and practices, adherence to rites and rituals [sīlabbataparāmāsa]|
4) |Sensual desire::interest in sensual pleasure, sensual impulse [kāmacchanda]|
5) |Ill will::intentional act of mentally opposing or rejecting others; an intentional construct fueled by aversion, directed against kindness or compassion. It manifests as hostility of will, impeding goodwill and fostering internal or external conflict. [byāpāda]|
4) Sensual desire
5) Ill will
6) |Passion for worldly existence::desire for material existence [rūparāga]|
7) |Passion for formless existence::desire for non-material existence [arūparāga]|
8) |Conceit::self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth [māna]|
9) |Restlessness::mental agitation, distraction, excitement [uddhacca]|
10) |Ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]|